A selection of the best sauerkraut recipes in its own juice

Sauerkraut recipes in their own juice are a lifesaver for housewives who like to experiment and make useful preparations for the winter. This appetizer is rich in vitamin C, can be stored for up to a year, and is used as an ingredient in soups and salads. In the process of fermentation, a preservative is formed - lactic acid. It keeps the snack fresh and healthy.

Consider popular recipes sourdoughs and variations from experienced housewives.

Choosing cabbage for harvesting

Medium-sized firm heads are recommended. They should be firm and crispy. Experienced housewives use the harvest of early or mid-season cabbage - Dobrovodskaya, Megaton, Brigadier. Cabbage is inspected for external damage: the head of cabbage should not have cracks, dark spots and sluggish leaves.

Attention! If cabbage for harvesting is bought at the market or in vegetable stalls, it is important that the cabbage does not lie on the ground. This is fraught with disease; such vegetables are not suitable for consumption.

Preparation for cooking

The cabbage is cleaned of the upper leaves, cut into several pieces and the stump is removed. If the head is small, cut for 6-8 parts; if large, the slices are finely chopped or grated. Volume blanks also depends on the recipe.

Selection and preparation of containers

The vegetable is fermented in a large and deep container - an enameled bucket or saucepan with a volume of 3-5 liters. The container is thoroughly washed with water and wiped dry. Enamelware should be solid - if there are holes or stains on the enamel, the dish will quickly deteriorate. Dangerous bacteria accumulate in the places of chips.

Vegetables are fermented in glass jars for quick use. It is convenient to store jars at home - in a pantry room, refrigerator or dry and dark cellar. The containers are washed with water and soda and wiped off. The cans are closed with iron, aluminum, nylon lids.

Cabbage is prepared in wooden jars and tubs for a large family. It is convenient to do this in the country or in a country house. The barrel is thoroughly washed and aired in the fresh air to get rid of foreign aromas. In a barrel, the vegetable acquires a spicy woody smell, it turns out to be crispy.

How to ferment cabbage in your own juice

Delicious classic salted cabbage is loved by both adults and children. The dish is prepared easily. Store pickles in the refrigerator. Before serving, the salad is decorated with a slice of lemon or lime - and a classic Russian appetizer turns into a festive salad.

List of ingredients for cooking:

• 1 kg of cabbage;
• 300 g carrots;
• 35 g rock salt;
• 25 g sugar;
• ground black pepper to taste;
• 5 allspice peas;
• 2 bay leaves.

Cooking technology:

1. Wash the carrots, peel and grate on a coarse grater. For blanks, choose solid and whole root crops.
2. Peel the cabbage from the leaves and chop with a knife or on a special grater.
3. Mix vegetables and transfer to a bowl or saucepan, salt and sugar, stir gently with your hands so that the cabbage gives juice.
4. Transfer to a smaller container, cover with a clean napkin and leave at room temperature for a day.
5. Tamp tightly over the jars, add black and allspice, bay leaf. Close the lid and store in a cool place. The snack is ready to eat after three days.

Recipe variations

In addition to the classic, express recipes are popular - cabbage with dill and salad "You will lick your fingers". Each dish has its own cooking technology and distinctive taste.

A simple express recipe

To prepare quick home salting, you do not need to have any culinary skills - anyone can make the dish. 100 g of cabbage contains only 40 kcal, so the salad will not harm the figure.

What is required for cooking:

• 500 g of cabbage;
• 100 g carrots;
• 2 bay leaves;
• 6 peas of allspice;
• 20 g rock salt;
• 25 g sugar.

How to salt:

1. Peel the cabbage and finely chop it, lay it out on a clean table in a layer, sprinkle with salt and sugar. Rinse carrots, peel and grate on a medium grater.
2. Put the cabbage in a cup, mix with the carrots and leave for an hour.
3. Tamp in jars, periodically adding bay leaves and allspice.
4. Place the jar in a basin so that the juice does not spill onto the floor. Cover with gauze, put in a warm place for a day.
5. The next day, pierce the cabbage with a wooden stick in several places so that the juice comes out. If there is no liquid in the jar, add a few tablespoons of clean water. Leave for another day.
6. Close with a nylon lid and put in the refrigerator.
7. Before serving, season with vegetable oil and garnish with onion rings.

With dill

Sauerkraut with dill is added to borscht or put on the table as an independent snack. Dill umbrellas saturate the vegetable with a pleasant aroma and make it more useful. This salad is a great way to boost your immune system.

What is required for cooking:

• 1.5 kg of cabbage;
• 1 carrot;
• 4 dill umbrellas;
• 1 bay leaf;
• 3 black peppercorns;
• 30 g of salt.

How to cook:

1. Remove the top layer of leaves from the cabbage, rinse and place on the bottom of the pan. Put two dill umbrellas on top.
2. Chop the cabbage and carrots on a medium grater, salt and mix with your hands. Put in a saucepan, cover with two dill umbrellas, add bay leaves and black peppercorns.
3. Put under oppression for three days, put in jars and put in the refrigerator.

There is a recipe for sauerkraut with dill and caraway seeds. For 500 g of cabbage, 20 g of caraway and 20 g of dill seeds are used. A grated apple is added with cabbage and carrots, and the dish is decorated with cranberries or lingonberries.

With carrots

Cabbage with carrots is a classic vegetable mix. To taste, cranberries, black or red currants, a mixture of spices and spices are added to the dish.

What is required for cooking:

• 1.5 kg of cabbage;
• 3 carrots;
• 40 g of salt;
• 5 black peppercorns;
• 2 bay leaves.

How to marinate:

1. Chop the cabbage with a knife or with a blender. Rinse and chop carrots, mix with cabbage and put in a deep bowl.
2. Season with salt and black pepper, tamp it into a jar, first dividing it into quarters. Add your favorite herbs and spices after each layer.
3. Cover with clean gauze and store in a dark place for three days. Pierce with a wooden spoon every day. Keep refrigerated.
4. Season with fragrant vegetable oil and fresh onions before serving.

Recipe "Lick your fingers"

This appetizing and colorful appetizer complements side dishes, meat and fish dishes well. Thanks to bell pepper, the salad becomes brighter and more tasty, acquires a sweetish aroma. Caloric content per 100 g of product is 95 kcal.

List of ingredients for cooking:

• 2.5 kg of cabbage;
• 500 g carrots;
• 500 g bell pepper;
• 250 g of onions;
• 250 ml of vegetable oil;
• 250 ml of table vinegar;
• 100 g of salt;
• 100 g of sugar.

How to cook:

1. Chop the cabbage and carrots, peel the bell pepper from seeds and stalks and cut into thin strips. Transfer all ingredients to a deep bowl or bowl.
2. Add onion, salt, sugar, vinegar and vegetable oil, chopped in half rings. Add pepper, caraway seeds, ground coriander, dried dill to taste.
3. Stir and put in jars after an hour.Leave the lids uncovered for five days in the refrigerator or other cool place, periodically piercing with a wooden spoon.
4. Cover with a nylon or plastic lid, keep cold.

Terms and conditions of storage

Store the cabbage snack in a cool place. In a city apartment, this is a refrigerator or a balcony in the winter season, in a country house - a cellar or basement. After opening the can, it is recommended to consume the snack within a week. To extend the shelf life, add granulated sugar to the dish. Average shelf life is 8-10 months. The spoiled product is determined by the cloudy juice and unpleasant odor.

Tips from experienced housewives

Coarse salt is used for fermentation - it gives the vegetables a crunch and evenly impregnates them. During the preparation process, the cleanliness of dishes and towels is monitored - kitchen utensils should not be dirty, otherwise the shelf life of the product will decrease. Vegetables are chosen fresh and firm, spices are aromatic and with a valid shelf life.

Attention! Sauerkraut frozen for the winter in the freezer. After defrosting, it is added to soups - cabbage soup, mushroom hodgepodge, chicken, borscht.

Conclusion

Winter pickles in their own juice are appropriate always and everywhere - both at a cozy family dinner, and at a noisy festive feast. It is easy to prepare them, the main thing is to follow the recipe and sequence of actions. It is convenient to ferment cabbage in jars - they fit in any refrigerator. To add a piquant taste, add carrots and onions, bell peppers and dill to the appetizer.

During the cooking process, the cabbage is pierced with a wooden spoon so that gas bubbles come out and the dish is stored longer. Sauerkraut is served with potatoes and meat, garnished with a lemon wedge, cranberries or fresh herbs.